Our 2017 EMEA Public Safety Survey Report is now available. It makes very interesting reading as Public Safety communications continue to transform. The report identifies key new trends in the growth of video and need for cloud-based apps. The survey also finds several other top-of mind subjects including high speed real-time data, multi-device multiagency communication, cybersecurity, social media and technology management. This first blog article about the survey focuses on video.

Growth in video
The report identifies substantial growth in the use of video, especially body worn. It shows consistent growth in the use of video across almost all types and substantial growth of 80% in responder-worn (body-worn) video since (from 2015 to 2017). Overall use of video has grown too. Today, around two thirds of agencies use some form of video - that has now risen from around half in 2015.

Although we are seeing growth across the board and this exceptional growth in body-worn video, fixed and in-vehicle video are still the top modes of video use:

Barriers to video usage
The report identifies the top barrier to video adoption as administrative overhead and cost, followed by concerns over privacy and new concerns over security of data against tampering.

Is cloud the answer?
Cloud-based applications for Public Safety are a relatively new offering. In the survey, we wanted to find out who is using them and identify key needs. The report finds that agencies are already using a wide spread of cloud based applications. In fact, over one-third of respondents tell us they are already using cloud based reporting, for example.

But what about video? Video comes high on the list of applications that respondents want in the cloud and almost half of respondents want to have cloud-based video storage. Over a third want video analytics there...

More about the report
This latest survey offers insight into technology trends in the public safety sector. The 2015 survey (conducted in late 2015) grew from similar surveys conducted in North America and was the first focused on Europe and Africa. The 2017 survey expanded the reach to Europe, Middle-East and Africa and now reflects the input of almost 200 public safety professionals in 46 countries.

The full report stretches to 12 pages, so I’m only able to share a short portion in this blog post. I plan to share more in future posts. Meanwhile, you can download the complete report here

The PMRExpo Exhibition and Conference is widely recognised as being one of the biggest and most important events in the calendar for everyone involved in Professional Mobile Radio and Control Rooms. This year we are contributing to both the conference and the exhibition (stand C12.)

And in the exhibition? We know that data has the potential to create safer cities, thriving communities, and more efficient and effective operations. But the power of the data is unleashed when it’s converted into actionable intelligence, and is in the hands of those who need it, when they need it, so they can make the best informed decisions when and where it matters most. To do this, you need mobility. Mobile Intelligence harnesses data by unifying applications, networks, devices and services to transform critical operations and work processes.

We will be showing a set of solutions that are critical elements of our mobile intelligence framework. Here are some highlights:

Purpose Built Devices – a comprehensive selection of TETRA handheld and mobile radios and pagers, DMR handhelds, P25 handhelds, LTE handhelds and Body Worn Devices. These are backed up with an extensive range of accessories and applications.

Mixed Reality Demonstrations – check out these demonstrations that show how immersive experiences enhance situation awareness. The first demonstration shows an intuitive way for a Future Fire Fighter Commander to get partly immersed in an incident in a burning building using Mixed-Reality Technology. Using virtual reality and video feeds, they can monitor the situation inside and around a burning building and make better informed decisions, faster. The second demonstration shows how a remote Future Police Incident Commander can gain instant understanding of a scene, allowing them to guide and follow a SWAT team throughout a rescue exercise. It uses wearable technology, drones, broadband and artificial intelligence together, to create a 3D holographic visualisation of the incident.

Collaborating Seamlessly Over Borderless Networks – see how our WAVE™ interoperability platform, enables you to connect any device to any network and enable seamless workgroup collaboration.

Next Generation Control Room Systems – experience how we support the field with more meaningful, real-time intelligence by extracting deeper insights from integrated voice, video and data; and integrate powerful real-time communications with advanced fleet control and dispatch functionalities.

Maximise Your System And Devices Availability And Ensure Continuity – check out how our tiered levels of support help you address existing vulnerabilities, build cyber resilience, assess your risk posture, and understand how to respond and recover from intrusions.

Keep a watch out for new announcements and demos at the show too. You can find out more about these and keep up-to-date with news, videos and more during the show by visiting our dedicated event microsite – https://www.motorolasolutions.com/pmrexpo

We look forward to seeing you!

Axel Kukuk is Head of Government and Military Sales Germany at Motorola Solutions